Akiva Reads

by N.K. Jemisin

I don't enjoy dystopias or apocalypse stories, so this is pretty far outside my usual. I enjoyed it to the extent it was like sci fi rather than fantasy:

• Lots of geology! Lots and lots of geology!! Deciphering their technobabble was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.

• Lots of thinking about different ways a society can be organized with respect to its orogene citizens. Although... the thesis that the nicest societies (e.g. the island) are the ones where you just let the people with inborn power be in charge of everything is questionable, and I hope it'll be complicated more in the next books.

The fantasy parts I wasn't as impressed with include the Chosen One-ness of Alabaster and Syenite and some of the less justified biology, like the herbivorous/carnivorous pets with the long fantasy name and everything to do with stone eaters (so far, although again, maybe it'll be addressed more in a subsequent book).

I am a big fan of the trans woman character and I kind of identify with her approach to life, lol.

The writing was mechanically very good; I guess it's considered a spoiler that Damaya, Syenite, and "you"/Essun are all the same person but I caught on to that pretty early in the book.

THIS BOOK IS ENTIRELY MADE OF UPSETTING AND POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING CONTENT, TREAD WITH CAUTION.